Two Back Shore hotels lose roofs in Gloucester

The winds that scoured New England Thursday night blew the roofs off two hotels on Gloucester's scenic Back Shore.

VIDEO from WCVB-TV, the Beacon's news partner.

The winds that scoured New England Thursday night blew the roofs off two hotels on Gloucester's scenic Back Shore.

At Gloucester Inn by the Sea at 85 Atlantic Ave., the roof was torn clear off one building. Owner Peter Cavallaro said he was heartbroken.

VIDEO from WCVB-TV, the Beacon's news partner, of Gloucester Inn by the Sea.

“I haven’t got a chance to get around the whole thing yet, but there’s a lot of damage and I’m just getting in touch with my insurance company. I don’t want to say it’s devastating, but it’s bad,” Cavallaro said.

The roof of a building with a half-dozen rooms flipped entirely off, leaving just the blue sky above the beds.

At the Bass Rocks Ocean Inn at 107 Atlantic Ave., the wind flipped the roof covering right off the two-story building.

Assistant manager Vickie Major said a big gust of wind picked up the portico, which is an overhanging roof that is supported by columns in the front of the hotel, and flipped it over to the back of the property.

“We have a cement roof underneath, and that held up,” said Major, keeping the rooms from being exposed to the elements.

Air conditioning units were demolished. “I’m looking at one in the back yard,” Major said.

“It’s a good thing that we were closed. It would have been awful if people were here,” said Major. “At least nobody got hurt.”

“We have a crane coming this afternoon to take down the big block of wood, the portico, so they can get back on the roof and see what to do to batten down for the rest of the winter,” she said.